Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview that he was forced out after a 2024 poll showed he was more popular than President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Kuleba, who left the government in September 2024, said the result made him expect removal and confirmed tensions within the administration over influence, public confidence, and the direction of wartime strategy.
Kuleba said a spring 2024 survey tracking public approval of politicians and key state institutions placed him one point ahead of the president and that the moment signaled his eventual departure.
"When the polls showed me ahead of Zelenskyy, I told my wife: 'Honey, I'm about to be kicked out. It's just a matter of time,'" he said.
Kuleba, who had served as foreign minister since 2020, was known for extensive international travel and persistent appeals for Western military assistance.
Ukrainian state media reported that he would be dismissed shortly before his resignation, sparking speculation that he was pushed rather than resigning voluntarily.
In the interview, he agreed that his independence inside the ministry contributed to the decision.
"I wasn't willing to become a mere executor of other people's instructions; a foreign minister must be able to have his own opinion," he said.
Kuleba said Ukraine should pursue fresh elections once a truce is reached with Russia.
"The people feel that the country needs a reset. If there is a truce, we will go to the polls immediately," he said.
He predicted that Zelenskyy would remain a political figure even if he were not reelected, calling him a historic leader whose influence would continue regardless of office.
Kuleba said Kyiv may face pressure either to accept an unfavorable settlement or risk further losses that leave it with the same options later.
"Our dilemma lies in two questions: If we sign a bad agreement now, will the country survive the internal shock? If we don't sign it and in a year we've lost more land and more lives, will we find ourselves with the same offer on the table?"
He added that a sweeping anti-corruption probe targeting several senior Ukrainian officials shows that "no one is untouchable."
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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